Mississippi Labor Board Laws

By Nicholas Pell

Mississippi state contour against blurred USA flag image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com

Mississippi state law covers a variety of areas of employment, including child labor, wages, hours and the "right to work." Workers in the state should know their rights if they suspect they are being violated. Employers in Mississippi should take care to observe all relevant law to avoid any violations that could affect their bottom line.

Child Labor

Mississippi state law prohibits minors under the age of 14 from most forms of employment. Minors between the ages of 14 and 16 cannot work in most manufacturing or processing industries unless they are complying with Mississippi state law regarding school attendance. In this case, the employer must have an affidavit from the child's parent as well as a certificate from the child's school principal verifying that the child has been attending school. Minors between the ages of 14 and 16 may not work more than eight hours in a single day or more than 44 hours in a week. State law also prohibits these minors from working after 7 p.m. or before 6 a.m. State law does not mandate work permits for minor employees. Neither does state law require that minor employees receive any meal breaks or rest periods.

Wages, Hours and Payment

Mississippi has few laws regarding wages, hours and payment for adult employees. All manufacturers with more than 50 workers are required by law to pay their employees no less than once every two weeks. The payment must cover a pay period that ended no longer than 10 days prior.

Right To Work

Mississippi is a "right to work" state. This means that a union shop does not exist in Mississippi and is barred by law. Employees have a right to work regardless of whether or not they are members of labor unions or other labor organizations.

Discrimination

Mississippi is an "at-will" employment state. This means that an employer may terminate an employee at any time for any reason or no reason at all. However, the law does provide a few reasons employers may not terminate an employee. For private employers, there is only one restriction--employees may not be discriminated against on the basis of military service. The public sector has more restrictions. Employees may not be discriminated against on the basis of sex, race, religion or physical handicap.

References

About the Author

Nicholas Pell began writing professionally in 1995. His features on arts, culture, personal finance and technology have appeared in publications such as "LA Weekly," Salon and Business Insider. Pell holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

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